10 Prep football storylines for the 2014 season

High school football practice kicks off throughout the area today, so naturally, it’s time to take a look at some of the more intriguing storylines that will emerge throughout the season.

Q: How will coaches John Booth at Manatee High and John Warren at Southeast High do in their first seasons after replacing Manatee County football legends Joe Kinnan (Manatee) and Paul Maechtle (Southeast)?

A rare sight: At left, Paul Maechtle, ex-Southeast High coach/athletic director, and former Manatee High coach/AD Joe Kinnan at a charity event in 2003. Both coaches roamed the sidelines for more than 30 years in Manatee County. This season they will be noticeably absent. John Booth (Manatee) and John Warren (Southeast) have a tough act to follow. STAFF FILE PHOTO / THOMAS BENDER

A: It’ll sure look weird not seeing Kinnan and Maechtle walking the sidelines this season. But fresh faces and new voices often can revitalize programs. Eliminate any staleness. At Manatee, John Booth will lean on a veteran coaching staff, some of whom were around when Booth was a ’Cane back-up QB. He has a new offensive line, but just the back (Johnnie Lang) to mask any OL mistakes. Taking over a team that went 11-1 last season means Booth has to maintain, not build. He will be under pressure to win early on more than Warren, who will have nearly 24 seniors on his first ’Nole squad. A key concern for the one-time Southeast assistant may be keeping players academically eligible on a weekly basis.

Q: Can QB Jack Allison lead Palmetto High to the playoffs for a fifth straight season?

A: The argument could be made that if the Tigers don’t make the playoffs with the 6-foot-5 junior under center, it will be considered a disappointment. They have reached the postseason the last four, and in Allison, who completed 108 of 199 passes last season for 1,454 yards and 15 touchdowns, will have one of ESPN’s top 300 junior players in the country. The University of Miami commit will be throwing to returning WRs Simon Williams and Dearius Washington, always a help. Head coach Dave Marino said his team is confident. With Allison running the show, the Tigers should be.

Q: How does Venice High replace running back Terry Polk and dual-threat quarterback Dom Marino?

A: Venice head coach John Peacock will manage the loss of Marino and Polk. He will manage by relying on a defense that returns seven starters and could end up being one of his finest ever. He will manage by making sure QB Misho Cemovich, Marino’s replacement, is coached up every Friday night to minimize mistakes. Someone will emerge from the Indians’ stable of backs to run the ball in place of Polk, and Peacock is getting back FB Erik Imperante from injury. If there’s one team that can overcome the loss of its quarterback and star running back and keep chugging and plugging, it’s Peacock’s Indians.

Q: Can Riverview High play the type of defense that will make Todd Johnson proud?

A: What Todd Johnson wants from his Riverview defense could be echoed by head coaches everywhere — toughness, anticipation, execution of assignments, paucity of mistakes. On several occasions, Johnson has lamented a lack of “football players,” those with the on-field instincts and awareness that serve to separate them from the average player. Point-wise last season, Johnson’s defense had its moments. It allowed 47 to Manatee, but an average of 13 the rest of the way, before blown out in the playoffs by Fort Pierce 45-0. Simply, Johnson wants an aggressive defense that sets a record for most de-cleaters in a season.

Q: Can Braden River High make the playoffs for the first time since 2010 under third-year coach Curt Bradley?

A: Curt Bradley took his team from 1-9 in 2012 to 5-4 last season. Maintaining that arc, the Pirates should classify reaching the postseason as an attainable goal. For it to happen, Braden River needs to fare better in district games against North Port, Sarasota, Palmetto and Lakewood Ranch. Bradley has back his entire offensive line, protecting QB Jacob Huesman, a backup last season. He got his team to combine belief and execution into producing five wins last season. Until further notice, it’s Curt Bradley’s formula for 2014.

Q: Will this be the year North Port High finishes .500 or better for the first time in program history under first-year coach Larry Detwiler despite losing quarterback Brennan Simms to Charlotte High?

A: It’s almost not fair that when loyal Bobcat assistant Larry Det- wiler finally gets his hands on the team’s head coaching job, his starting quarterback bolts. And not just any starter — Brennan Simms threw for 1,942 yards and 17 TDs last season at North Port, which will have its third head coach in as many years. Detwiler still has the talented Teddy Deas on offense, but a .500 or better record this season from a program that’s never had one would be a tremendous accomplishment.

Q: How does Booker replace all-everything Marlon Mack and will it have enough weapons around QB Jeremiah Henderson under first-year coach Recharde Goodwyn?

A: It’s one of football’s basic principles — get the ball into the hands of your most talented athletes. The Booker Tornadoes did that last year with Marlon Mack. With the gifted tailback now at USF, that responsibility may fall to quarterback Jeremiah Henderson, the biggest QB in the area at 6-3 and 250 pounds. He threw for eight TDs and 1,267 yards last season and has the size and bulk to be a load running the ball as well. Henderson will benefit from the return of four linemen and two WRs.

Q: What type of season will Sarasota High have under first-year coach Brian Ryals?

A: Even with the boundless enthusiasm of first-year head coach Brian Ryals infusing the program, the Sailors could have their share of growing pains. The team that won the district title last season under Ed Volz graduated a ton of players. Ryals has six returners on defense, Justin Austin, one of the area’s premier threats at running back, and a vacancy at quarterback. But if the Sailors’ spring game, a 44-0 loss to St. Petersburg, was any clue, Ryals and his new coaching staff won’t lack for work.

Q: Will Bradenton Christian, Out-of-Door Academy, Saint Stephen’s and Imagine School of North Port have enough numbers to compete this season?

A: Smaller schools can run the risk of not having the numbers, either through injuries or indifference or defections, to field a team. Imagine School of North Port forfeited three games last season to lack of players. In October, it was down to fewer than 14 and canceled its spring season. By comparison, Saint Stephen’s head coach Tod Creneti enjoys a player bonanza with the 28 on his squad. These guys would love to work with rosters of 60, but make do with the bodies they get. It certainly beats eight-man.

Q: Is IMG the new power team in the area and will it ever play another area football program?

A: If IMG isn’t at the top of the area power rankings, the Ascenders are in the neighborhood. They were 8-0 last season before losing their final two games, to eventual state champion Trinity Christian Academy and district champion Naples. Any team with the IMG name affixed to it had better be formidable. We’ll get an early indication when IMG plays 5A power Tallahassee Godby in the season opener. And, yes, who wouldn’t want to see the Ascenders tangle with Manatee or Venice? But with games lined up this season against opponents from Texas, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., IMG might be saying, “We don’t need to.’’

Doug Fernandes

Doug Fernandes is an award-winning journalist at the Herald Tribune. He has observed the sports scene in Sarasota since 1987.

Last modified: August 3, 2014
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